Rector

State Higher Vocational School in Skierniewice

Paris, 3 June 2020

Dear  0 Daniel Stos,

The International Association of Universities (IAU) has taken the difficult decision to postpone the IAU 16th General Conference to 26 to 29 October 2021.
It was originally scheduled to take place from 3 to 6 November 2020.
The high degree of uncertainty about the future, about travel
opportunities, and about organizing safe gatherings entails that the
current conditions do not allow us to ensure wide participation from
around the world in November. Being able to offer a truly global forum
to leaders of higher education is essential to IAU.

Please mark the new dates in your calendar and make sure to attend this important event. The theme for the Conference, Relevance and value of universities to future society,
remains of utmost importance as we prepare to confront the aftermath of
the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with their fantastic team, we look
forward to welcoming you to University College Dublin (UCD) in 2021.


Beyond a stimulating programme with speakers and participants from
around the world, the General Conference is also the supreme
decision-making organ of the Association. It is here that IAU Members
will elect the next president and the members of the Administrative
Board for 2021-2025. This is an extraordinary opportunity to join the Association and get engaged. Discover the benefits of being an IAU Member and join this global higher education community now!

In the run-up to the General Conference, the IAU has developed a webinar series on The Future of Higher Education : short- medium and long term perspectives (register for the next webinar session here).
It started in May and will continue until the end of the year. This
allows Members and partners to stay connected, share experiences,
opportunities and concerns; it also allows to exchange on lessons
learned and to acquire a better understanding of the effects of the
current crisis on the future of the higher education sector.

It is our great pleasure to share that the final webinar session this year will mark the celebration of 70 years
of international cooperation with the IAU. It will take place on 9
December 2020 - precisely 70 years after the IAU Constitution was signed
in Nice, France, in 1950. Please make sure that you are signed up to
the IAU Newsletter or to the IAU twitter account to stay informed.


The IAU was created to foster exchange and international collaboration
among universities and other higher education institutions; its mandate
is once more becoming increasingly important at a time when we
experience major disruptions to the world as we know it. The responses
to this crisis cannot be developed at the national or regional level
alone. It is together that we have to build a new future and address the
global challenges of our time.

We wish you well during these difficult times. Please stay healthy and we hope that State Higher Vocational School in Skierniewice will consider becoming an active Member of our global community!

Sincerely yours,

Hilligje van't Land, PhD

Secretary General

International Association of Universities